Inspiration is a Habit

Committing to a creative practice

Mar 28, 2024

Hello creators!

In my opinion, the most essential aspects to creativity are 1) Intuition (yin) and 2) Dedication (yang). Intuition is about listening. Dedication is about doing. Today, let’s talk about doing.

Creativity is a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it becomes. Most people who claim to be uncreative are simply out of shape. They haven’t been exercising their creative muscles. But with training and dedication, anyone can become stronger, both physically and creatively. With action comes clarity.

The following is an excerpt from The Art of You about committing to a creative practice:

Inspiration is a habit

“Don’t think about making art. Just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” – Andy Warhol

The creative process is similar to farming. There’s a time to prepare the soil, a time to plant the seeds, a time to harvest the crops, and a time to eat the food. Intuition and imagination require action to bring the process to fruition. The best idea in the world means nothing unless it can be crafted into tangible form.

Bringing ideas to life doesn’t necessarily require great talent. But it does require practice and effort. And most importantly, it requires showing up on a consistent basis, making your creative practice a habit.

When I work with clients to help them develop and launch creative projects, one of the most common challenges I hear is the lack of inspiration. They are waiting for the right idea to come out of nowhere and strike like a bolt of lightning. Until then, they are frozen, stuck in uncertainty, unsure where to begin.

I tell them to look for movement, not perfection. Any action is good action. What we want to do is shake up the energy, create momentum, and see what happens. Consistency is key. It doesn’t matter if you write a thousand words or ten words. The point is to show up and put one foot in front of the other. We learn by doing. With action comes clarity. Lightning may indeed strike, but you need to be outside in the storm, not sitting on your couch watching TV.

As the painter Chuck Close said, “Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just show up and get to work. If you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in the brain, you are not going to make an awful lot of work. All the best ideas come out of the process; they come out of the work itself.”

My favorite sport is basketball. To me, it’s the most creative sport. Like jazz music, basketball is a spontaneous synchronization between players. Anything could happen on any given play. The magic is created in the moment. One principle of a good basketball team is constant movement. An open shot doesn’t just happen. It is created. Smart teams are always passing the ball, setting screens for teammates, and rotating around the court. It’s impossible to see the entire play unfold in advance. Each small movement may seem inconsequential, but one pass leads to another. One rotation changes the dynamic of the court. And sooner or later, a hole in the defense is revealed. An open shot appears.

This approach is highly relevant to the creative process. Movement and momentum are essential. You don’t have to have everything figured out before you start. One sentence leads to another, which leads to another. Purge your mind and see what happens. You can always make changes later. As one writer friend once told me, “It’s easier to fix bad pages than no pages.”

A baseball player who gets on base just one-third of the time is considered very successful. The same is true with creativity. Not everything you make will be your best work. You might go several days without making anything at all. That’s okay. Keep showing up. The more times you swing the bat, the more chances you’ll have to hit a home run.

Get started now. Don’t worry about being perfect. Don’t worry about running out of ideas. Make your creative practice a habit, a ritual. Just like a romantic relationship, what you get out of the creative process is equal to the effort you put in.

Are you ready to commit to a creative practice?

No matter what form your art takes, The Art of You is designed to help you reconnect with your innate creativity so you can create with passion and purpose. Check out the book here.

On April 1, I am kicking off a 30 Days of Creative Ritual challenge. Join me and a community of creators who will be committing to a creative practice for one month. You can work on any project you want, or just play around and try new things. There will also be weekly prompts and rituals to get your creative juices flowing.

Challenge includes: